College Professor salary in Tennessee

BLS does not publish a separate estimate for College Professors. The figures on this page are the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Postsecondary Teachers, All Other (25-1199), the closest published occupation.

The median annual wage for college professors in Tennessee is $76,480, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimates — below the national median of $77,640. Tennessee ranks 20 of 47 states and DC with published data for this occupation.

Median

$76,480

25th percentile

$59,790

75th percentile

$87,980

90th percentile

$127,280

Employment and national comparison

Employment in Tennessee	2,410
Mean annual wage in Tennessee	$83,690
National median	$77,640
National employment	149,840

Metro areas in Tennessee

Nashville, TN: median $81,110
Memphis, TN: median $63,310

States with similar pay for college professors

Indiana: median $76,390
Arizona: median $76,700
Kansas: median $75,790
Ohio: median $75,680
Montana: median $77,550
South Carolina: median $77,940

See all states ranked for college professors.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates; state, metropolitan area and national files from https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. State estimates are for BLS occupation "Postsecondary Teachers, All Other" (25-1199), cross-industry, all ownerships. Retrieved 2026-10-02. Where BLS does not publish a numeric estimate (suppressed, or reported only as at or above $239,200) the value is shown as —.